This invention relates to a roll for transferring hot metal pieces such as ingots, slabs, blooms and billets of steel and other metals and alloys. A roll of low-mixed alloy steel having appropriate toughness is generally used as a roll for transferring hot metal pieces which is used for continuous casting or transferring other hot metal pieces. However, the above-mentioned rolls are remarkably worn away by oxidation at a high temperature caused by contact with metal pieces at high temperature when used as a continuous casting roll or by the corrosion of the rolls caused under the condition in an atmosphere of existing water or vapor of high temperature using extraneous cooling water.
Additionally, the repetitive thermal stress on the surface of the roll by repeated heating caused by contact with metal pieces at a high temperature and cooling by extraneous water, and the cracks which were caused by such repetitive thermal stress are problems also. A method for improving the corrosion resistance and the oxidation resistance of rolls is known which consists in adding alloy steel containing 10-14 percent by weight of chromium and some alloy constituents but the cracks which occurred in use were still not solved even though corrosion resistance and oxidation resistance were improved. Moreover, using a high-mixed alloy is detrimental as regards the cost of producing such rolls.